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TIME: Almanac 1990
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1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso
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031389
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03138900.040
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1990-09-22
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WORLD, Page 39World NotesEL SALVADORTurning the Tables
After a flurry of proposals and counterproposals, El Salvador
was not an inch closer to peace. President Jose Napoleon Duarte,
whose Christian Democrats are trailing in the polls, took the
diplomatic initiative last week by calling for talks with the
Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (F.M.L.N.) and offering
to postpone for six weeks the presidential elections scheduled for
March 19. The army also unilaterally declared a cease-fire until
June 1.
The F.M.L.N., which wants the elections delayed until Sept.
15, called Duarte's offer for talks "positive" but criticized the
cease-fire as unworkable. To underscore their point, rebel forces
on Thursday attacked San Ramon, a town on the outskirts of San
Salvador, killing three soldiers and two civilians before making
their escape. The incident was the first serious guerrilla assault
on the capital.
U.S. officials are lending quiet encouragement to peacemaking
efforts, but deep political divisions and intransigence in El
Salvador threaten to stop the latest push. The right-wing ARENA
party rejected any delay in the election. And the rebels have
hinted that if no talks are held soon, they will resume the war
with greater intensity.